Johnny Isakson: “I have not had any time to make any phone calls. I did not read the think tank studies. I did, however, for 22 years…”

“I have not had any time to make any phone calls. I did not read the think tank studies. I did, however, for 22 years prior to coming to Congress, manage a company. When we left, we had 220 employees covered by an ERISA-qualified group medical insurance coverage. And their salaries was paid and my salary was paid by the proceeds of sales made by independent contractors of which 90 percent were women. Under the independent contractor law and IRS requirements, we could not offer them group medical insurance and they had no ERISA protection. They were at the mercy of what was available. Now, those 220 for whom we provided group medical insurance, I would have to resent the fact that the illusion was made that an employer who had that many women as a percentage of their workforce would not provide gynecological benefits and other reproductive benefits available to women. Of course you would. Now what this bill does it does not preclude a mandated 48-hour stay any more than it precludes any other benefit. It offers the employer the option of offering it. It is true there is an exemption from the State requirement. It is untrue that it necessarily, on its face, takes that benefit away from a company. Who in here would believe for a moment that an employer who wants to offer a benefit to his employees would take away the very benefit that is most important to those employees? Facts are stubborn things.…”